Thursday, December 20, 2007

A stat not mentioned in the video clip is that global small businesses play a HUGE role in global trade. They typically generate 29 percent of the U.S. export sales in a given year, and in 2005, they accounted for nearly $300 billion of the $906 billion generated by all U.S. exporters.

Here's our mantra for next year ... Get it straight in '08: Go Global!

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

The United States has reached a deal with the European Union, Japan and Canada to keep its Internet gambling market closed to foreign companies, but is continuing talks with India, Antigua and Barbuda, Macau and Costa Rica, U.S. trade officials said on Monday.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Despite demand for American-made products abroad, small-business owners’ reluctance to export often means that their products do not find their way into global markets, trade experts told GlobalAtlanta.

Monday, December 10, 2007

What's really holding you back from going global in 2008? Probably a lot of things but most of all I suspect it's knowledge.

But if knowledge is power, why not harness it by reading these very insightful reports that shed light on international issues affecting businesses around the world?

I read them once, twice and even gave a talk about the amazing results in Atlanta on November 13th.

So don't let the length of the reports intimidate you. It's worth it to explore. Dig deep. After all, 95 percent of the world population resides outside the United States. Are you tapping into it to grow your business?

Monday, December 03, 2007

Whether you live in Kansas or Kuala Lumpur, networking is going global and many Chamber organizations in the United States are encouraging it. Why?

Sharing ideas on a regular basis helps support economic development, job creation and the marketing efforts of area cities.

But for many chamber organizations in Greater Kansas City, networking is going global.

The potential for tapping into huge overseas markets, including India and China, is becoming increasingly important for chamber members, particularly ones with expertise in the biosciences and information technology.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

The World Economic Forum (WEF) each year handicaps the economic-development race. The Global Competitiveness Report tallies 113 factors that contribute to an economy's competitiveness -- a buzzword that roughly boils down to how well a country is positioned to squeeze efficiency out of its businesses and attract companies and investment from abroad.

Components of the resulting Global Competitiveness Index range from the quality of a nation's roads to the independence of its judiciary to the incidence of tuberculosis to how easy it is to hire an engineer. Parts of the index are culled from official data; many others are drawn from a survey of 11,000 international business executives. This year TIME partners with the WEF to bring you in-depth data on 37 key countries at time.com/globalbusiness.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Manufacturers familiar with foreign-trade zones know the obvious benefits, namely no duties on goods exported from the foreign-trade zone (FTZ) and the deferral of duties until goods are moved outside the FTZ. But, according to Greg Jones, corporate secretary and senior consultant with Foreign-Trade Zone Corp., there are other key points to consider.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

With a population of 1.3 billion whose per capita income is expected to double over the next 10 years, and a consumer market that is expected to grow to $14 trillion by the year 2025, it's no wonder foreign companies are investing billions to reach today's Chinese consumer. Research reveals a growing demographic of generally younger, affluent, urban Chinese consumers who are willing to consider foreign brands.

Friday, November 02, 2007

Welcome to the new GlobeTrade ... a leading management consulting and marketing solutions company dedicated to helping entrepreneurs and small businesses go global. Our mission is simple: to make going global easy by giving you the tools, resources, and knowledge you need.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

In his weblog for May 7, 2007, Dani Rodrik takes us to task for exaggerating the benefits of globalization in raising US household income and GDP. Professor Rodrik long ago established his reputation as a globalization skeptic; today he is the favorite Harvard economist among the backlash crowd. Eight years ago, Francisco Rodriguez and Rodrik (1999) notched their academic guns against Jeffrey Sachs and Andrew Warner (1995), expressing a skeptical view of the benefits of liberal trade policy to developing countries. As targets of Rodrik's latest outburst of skepticism, we share good company.

Monday, October 29, 2007

Listen (or read all about) a new -- thanks to UPS -- customs clearance and international returns solutions for small businesses.

Here's a clip from the beginning of it:

Gardner: Let’s start with Laurel. Help us understand some of the issues facing small businesses, those seeking to expand their addressable markets and how they can start doing more business overseas.

Delaney: Actually, there are two forces at work right now for small businesses. One has to do with the issue of globalization. I think we all know the buzz that’s going on about going global that has been driven largely by Thomas Friedman with his book, "The World is Flat." He’s caused mainstream America and all small businesses to step up to the plate and consider the world as your market. The second force is technology, and technology is making it easier now to go global.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Harvard Business School professor John Quelch writes a blog on marketing issues, called Marketing KnowHow, for Harvard Business Online. Join in on the debate on whether Ford will make a comeback on their global brand. The post is reprinted on HBS Working Knowledge here.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Marketers and their agencies must change as the convergence of media and technology, combined with the fragmentation and personalization of media, changes the connection between marketers and end users.

As the media environment becomes increasingly complex and rooted in the digital space, the existing marketing agenda and capabilities need to be re-tooled and marketing organizations, agencies and media companies are having to change at an unprecedented pace. A new cross industry study details how marketers and their agencies must change as the convergence of media and technology, combined with the fragmentation and personalization of media, changes the connection between marketers and end users.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

The 2007 Detroit Regional Chamber Small Business Conference was a huge success. What impressed me the most was the number of small business owners in attendance and how driven, enthusiastic and passionate they are about using Web 2.0 media to build a global presence. More information on the Detroit conference, including many of the speaker's PowerPoint slides, can be viewed here.

After my talk, I had folks from UPS, Google and Crain's Detroit Business come up to me to discuss additional opportunities. Eager to keep moving in this new global media direction. Everyone should.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Most of America's small- and mid-sized businesses have failed to explore the significant growth opportunities offered by an increasingly global economy. Indeed, a new survey conducted for UPS shows 67 percent of the nation's small-to-mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) are still chaining themselves to the U.S. economy.

Is that you? If it is, I encourage you to read this press release and get ready to dive into the UPS Business Monitor United States 2007 Report when it is released November 1st. I will post more about it then.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The World Bank's annual "Doing Business 2008" has just been released. It provides objective measures of business regulations and their enforcement across 178 countries. The team works closely with thousands of professionals around the world.

Highlights from Doing Business 2008: As countries reform their business regulation, more businesses are starting up. Eastern Europe has witnessed a boom in new business entry that rivals the rapid growth in East Asia in the past. Large emerging markets such as India, China, Egypt, Turkey, and Indonesia, are reforming fast and investors are taking notice. This year Egypt is the top reforming country worldwide, while Singapore is #1 on the ease of doing business for the second consecutive year.

P.S. Separately, just returned moments ago from the 2007 Detroit Regional Chamber Small Business Conference (where at the VIP breakfast, I sat next to Joe Dumars, famed Detroit Pistons player, businessman and current president of the Detroit Pistons' Basketball Operations (I did not even know this!) and will report on all of it soon! Amazing conference.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

We at Kashmir Handicrafts (websites www.Kashand.com and www.Kashand.org) wish to thank you for your nice and informative Blog which we regularly visit and read. We are India based manufacturers and exporters of handicrafts and intricate Pietra dura tabletops, medallions and Taj Mahal replicas are our specialty. The issues confronting exporters are, in many cases, identical whether one is based in the US or in India. Many things on your Blog are noteworthy and make us learn a lot.

All of us thank you for your initiative and look forward to your continued writings. If at any time you or your friends require any items that we make, we would be glad to offer you our best attention and prices.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Recently, 40-plus IBMers from 11 different nationalities got together. Official assignment: To identify the key attributes that make IBM global delivery special. Unwritten agenda: To meet each other and create a “cultural connect.”

Monday, October 01, 2007

Spend some time in the hotels, restaurants and even newsstands of Western Europe these days, and as an American you understand pretty quickly that you're poorer than you once were. To be precise, you're 40% poorer--to go by the dollar-euro exchange rate--than you were six years ago.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Q: We are interested in importing food to U.S. retail outlets. We have been trying to find specific sources to tell us what requirements are needed in order to do so. Can you point us in the right direction? ~ M.Y., Memphis, Tenn.

Read the answer offered by Kelly Spors of The Wall Street Journal here.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Is the U.S. housing blowout going to hurt the rest of the world? Certainly, a major slowdown in the planet's biggest economy would cause some countries pain.

But much of the globe will likely shrug off the worst effects of any American slump. "The global economy is no longer U.S.-centric," says Ed Yardeni, an economist who heads Yardeni Research in New York. "We may find that the global economic boom continues, notwithstanding the slowdown in the U.S."

The old theory is that when America sneezes the rest of the world gets sick (hence, the photo of an American girl sneezing) but it may not apply these days.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Long before going green was an international pastime, when the only corporate responsibility was to the bottom line, a small store opened in Brighton, England, selling homemade moisturizers and hair-care products packaged in plastic urine-sample jars. The cosmetics were all-natural, the containers were reusable and the ethos — creating products that were as good for the earth as they were for your skin — was still considered radical, the kind of thing only hippies cared about. But when Anita Roddick opened The Body Shop in 1976 ...

Anita Roddick died September 10th at age 64. She was an inspiration to us all and will be missed.

The value of U.S. exports of goods and services to the rest of the world increased 2.7% in July, the fastest seasonally adjusted growth in more than three years, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Travel Web site TravelPost.com offers Wi-Fi information for about 219 U.S. and 80 international airports, including what kind of service is offered and how much it costs. Look under the "Travel Resources" section of the home page or visit here.

If you have any doubt about the growing importance of BRIC -- the common acronym for the emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, India and China -- consider this: Sun Microsystems CEO Jonathan Schwartz admitted today that it was Brazil that forced Sun to open source Java.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

If you are a subscriber to our monthly e-zine Borderbuster, you already know about the following tips based on an article that was written in the 8/6/07 edition, "No. 6: Outsourcing: Small Businesses, Big Gains," by guest author Manoj Vohra, who heads up the research services practice of Businessworld Intelligence -- the research and research-led corporate initiatives arm of Businessworld, India's most widely read and circulated business weekly.

If you are interested in reading the full article, we encourage you to subscribe to Borderbuster and we will be happy to send it to you. That's one of the many perks to being a subscriber: receiving cutting edge info on global small business before anyone else on the planet.

In the meantime, here are four (out of a bunch) best-kept outsourcing programming secrets for small businesses that are mentioned in Manoj's article:

Interestingly enough, when I gave a presentation on how to use Web 2.0 to go global a couple of weeks ago in North Carolina at the 2nd Annual Small Business Conference in North Carolina, one of the attendees, a native of India running a business in North America, later sent me the following email:

I really enjoyed your presentation today. Though, I am actively working on web 2.0 technology, I learned about a few additional good sites from your presentation. In fact, ScriptLance (Laurel here ... I had known about ScriptLance prior to Manoj's submission) is going to be a very good site for me to expand my business. I wanted to thank you for sharing the information. If you are in town, I would love to meet with you.

Looks like we are on to something. Better check it out. Don't forget about the rest of the article -- sign up is here.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Let's talk about the obvious results first. India emerges on top by a wide margin with China and Malaysia (yes, you read that right) holding second and third place positions but take a look at some of the other locations that made the grade or reinforced their positions. United States came in 21st and Ireland came in last. The index is measured against financial attractiveness, people and skills availability and business environment. Before you move on to the report, here's a little more:

Findings in the 2007 A.T. Kearney Global Services Location IndexTM reveal that the relative cost advantage of the leading offshore destinations has declined almost universally. Nearly every country in the Index, even those that fell in the rankings, improved their absolute scores, thus confirming that competition among low-cost countries is intensifying. Increasingly, simply maintaining current performance levels is no longer sufficient for countries that want to attract (and retain) the fast-growing remote services business. In addition, this year’s findings suggest that while the wage advantage of offshore locations will continue for 20 or more years, this advantage will diminish as demand for skilled workers increases in offshore locations around the globe.

Now in its fourth year, the Global Services Location Index, or GSLI, analyzes and ranks the top 50 locations worldwide that provide the most common remote functions, including IT services and support, contact centers and back-office support.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

The WSJ featured a story with the above title on Monday, August 20th, and it was on Estee Lauder CEO facing trying times at the family company. The article is only available to online subscribers so I'm going to type out the parts (excerpts) that I thought were extremely relevant to our interests here on going global. See if you capture, as I did, the little glimmers of great advice. Here goes.

WSJ: What retail alternatives are particularly attractive for your brands right now?

Mr. Lauder: We look for consumers who spend at the higher end of the product range.

There's a generic frustration that I have when I talk to the financial community. The vast majority of analysts we talk to are American, the vast majority of them don't travel much outside of the U.S., and if they do, I imagine that most of that travel isn't to figure out how our brands and other brands are sold and market in Europe or Asia. They seem singularly obsessed with North America and the success of the Clinique and Estee Lauder brands there. They miss the extraordinary growth and expansion that we're seeing from our brands outside of this market.More than half of our sales and a significant portion of our total growth will come from outside of North America.

WSJ: How do you translate your brands in foreign markets?

There are many things we have to do to make our message for each brand more relevant locally. For example, the Asian consumer is very heavily oriented to the skin-treatment business -- she trusts brands that are really solid in those areas. And she doesn't like fragrance. It's a very small portion of the total business. In Europe, in the parfumerie channel, it's predominantly a fragrance-driven business, more than 50% of the business, and the remainder is skin care and color. In the U.S., it's a little more balanced between fragrance, treatment and makeup. So our message in each of these markets has to be different and relevant.

WSJ: What about emerging markets?

Mr. Lauder: We see emerging markets as a tremendous opportunity. Beauty is one of the first entry points for that emerging middle-class consumer in these markets, and she's buying. The Estee Lauder brand in China is exploding right now because it represents aspirational luxury but at a price that's much more affordable than Louis Vuitton. We see the same thing going on in Russia. India is a little behind because there's a certain lack of established retail there. Also doing well for us is the Middle East, Latin America, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa.

5Tips from William Lauder on Seeking New Territory for your Business

1. While expanding globally, adapt to local tastes.2. Make sure new markets still serve your core consumer and brand identity.3. Stay open to new and emerging channels.4. Sometimes the biggest retailers don't represent the biggest opportunities.5. Don't think like a U.S. business with international operations, take the mindset of a truly global company.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Just a few days left (10 to be exact) to enter the UPS Best "Out-of-the-Box" Small Business Contest. What's in it for you? How about U.S. $25,000!

The international contest will honor the most innovative small businesses and is designed for companies with annual 2006 revenues of at least $250,000 but not more than $10 million. Eligible businesses in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, the Philippines and Singapore are asked to submit a 500-word essay explaining why they’re original and how they’ve been successful.

ABOUT GSBB

LAUREL DELANEY

The Global Small Business Blog (GSBB) was founded on July 20, 2004 by Laurel Delaney (pictured) for the purpose of helping entrepreneurs and small businesses expand their businesses internationally. It is ranked No. 1 in the world for entrepreneurs and small businesses interested in going global. Learn more about Laureland visit her company GlobeTrade.com.

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2nd Edition Available NOW (2016) and endorsed by Jim Collins!

"Good to Great" best-selling author Jim Collins says, "Laurel Delaney writes in a tremendous spirit of service to entrepreneurial and small business leaders navigating the opportunities of globalization. Whether leading a fresh startup, a small business, or an entrepreneurial growth company seeking greatness, the question of whether―and how―to go global must be addressed. Delaney shows yet again her passionate dedication to serving her readers with deeply practical guidance.”